Scores of reviewers, including Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times, deemed their first bite of Jimmy Fallon, the new “Tonight Show” host, “sweet.”

“Mr. Fallon’s debut was more sweet than sassy,” wrote Stanley of the “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night” alum, who thanked his visiting parents, predecessor Jay Leno and everyone else in earshot for his stab at the coveted spot.

“Snark,” in fact, was a main ingredient on a list of “superlatives” one writer attributed to the saucy Meyers’ recipe for success.

The pantry of fresh-picked late-night choices is stocked with these extremes and everything in between, from the fun and feisty Jimmy Kimmel, traditional and classic David Letterman, irreverent and inventive Craig Ferguson, and sometimes downright gooey Arsenio Hall.

Let this be a lesson to all of us — a cooking lesson. Midnight snacking has been around since, if not the beginning of time, at least since TV programs rather than test patterns started populating the late-night landscape. The smorgasbord of hilarious hosts — and their tasty tics — can be your inspiration for some notable nighttime nibbles:

David Letterman-Style Classic Apple Pie: If you can’t score a recipe from “Dave’s Mom” (92-year-old Dorothy), who has served many a pie in her Indiana kitchen while the late-night veteran’s cameras rolled, gussy up a store-bought or homemade one with the simple brown sugar and walnut crumb toppings that Midwest Living and other magazines note are a signature of the state.

Craig Ferguson-Style Irreverent Pigs in a Blanket: Lightly paint the top of wonton skins (available in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets) with bottled soy sauce and jarred sweet-and-sour sauce, add a few shavings of fresh ginger and one-half all-beef hot dog and wrap inside wonton, pressing together seams. Brush wonton pouches lightly with a well-beaten egg. Place on baking sheet that, when still cool, has been lightly spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, and bake at 375 F for about 12 minutes, until slightly browned, crispy and hot dog reaches a USDA-recommended internal temperature of 140 F. Do not let wonton skins burn; carefully cover with aluminum foil, if necessary.

Arsenio Hall-Style Gooey Grilled-Cheese Bites: Spread cinnamon-raisin bread with a light coating of butter or margarine, sprinkle on curry powder, and top with one slice each of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, and carefully broil until bread is crispy but not burned, and cheeses are bubbling and gooey. Cut into quarters and serve immediately.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including “Mrs. Cubbison’s Best Stuffing Cookbook” and “The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook.”

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